By Curity Adhiambo (KENYA)
It’s a sunny morning by the riverside. The golden rays of the sun gently settle on the flowing waters of River Kuja in western Kenya, casting reflections as early birds begin their day along the brown waters. In the background, the gentle hum of village life begins to stir.
Smoke rises from cooking fires, and the sounds of morning greetings float through the air. The community is awakening, each member contributing to the vibrant life that thrives along the banks of River Kuja.
As the sun climbs higher, its warmth spreads across the landscape, illuminating the lush greenery that lines the riverbanks. Among the early risers are not just wildlife, but also the people living near the river. One of them is Mary Akinyi Obunga, a well-known 68-year-old water seller in Wath Ong’er. Cheerful and talkative, Mary’s exuberant words brighten the day for everyone around her.
Mondays are busy days at Wath Ong’er, the market centre, with the hustle and bustle of townsfolk preparing for Tuesday, one of the week’s most significant market days.
This famous market day attracts hundreds of traders from across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It serves as a hub for trading livestock such as cows, goats, and sheep, along with woven ropes, carpentry items, food products and even clothes. The event draws in people from all kinds of trades.
The energy and excitement in the community are palpable, with whistling and the bustle of people rising early to prepare for this great day. To get ready, water is a necessary commodity, and it comes only from one source: River Kuja.
The Mighty River Kuja and it’s people
River Kuja flows through multiple communities before arriving at Wath Ong’er. It begins in the highlands of Kiabonyoru, located in Nyamira County in southwestern Kenya, previously part of Nyanza Province. In this region, it is known as River Gucha, a Kisii name. As it continues its journey into Migori County, the Luo community refers to it as River Kuja, and its final destination is Lake Victoria.
According to local myth, the name changed because the Luos could not correctly pronounce it, transforming it into River Kuja.
Others say the name reflects all the things the river brings with it, both good and bad. In Swahili, “kuja” means “come.” Before reaching Wath Ong’er, this mighty river converges with the Migori River and flows with vigour into Lake Victoria.
Wath Ong’er is located in the heart of Nyatike Sub-County, one of Migori’s largest sub-counties. Migori County is situated in the former Nyanza Province of southwestern Kenya. It shares borders with Homa Bay County to the north, Kisii County to the northeast, Narok County to the southeast, Tanzania to the west and south, and Lake Victoria to the west. Additionally, the county has a border with Uganda through Migingo Island in Lake Victoria. The county’s administrative centre and largest town is Migori.
The journey from Migori town to Wath Ong’er is about 40 kilometres—a considerable distance—and the terrain is generally good, with a few dusty roads before you reach the market centre.
The Mighty River Kuja; A vein of life
The River Kuja Bridge introduces visitors to the magnificence of this community. Mary Akinyi walks down the river with her five donkeys, a routine she has followed for over twenty years. She supplies water to anyone who might need it at the market centre. She is skilled at it, and you can tell from her demeanour that she loves what she does. She calls it “willing buyer, willing seller.” Akinyi does not filter or treat the water.
“This water business has educated my children, fed my family, built me a home, and is now paying for my grandchildren’s education. Why would I dislike a job that allows me to bring people joy through both water and conversation?” Mary says with a smile. “She visits so many homes that she’s like a thread connecting the entire centre—she knows what happens, where, and when.”
At 68, Akinyi is calm, fit, flexible, and stronger than many of her peers. Her infectious smile and bright, shining eyes set her apart. She is no ordinary woman.
Mary has given birth to 13 children, of whom eight are still alive. She currently has eight grandchildren and looks forward to welcoming a great-grandchild soon.
She says her people, “Jokadem,” meaning people of Kadem have always had water problems as far back as she can remember. She comes from Seme County in Northern Nyanza, Kenya and was married there at a tender age of 15 years.
“This river is the only source of water in this community. We do everything using this water—we bathe here, wash dishes, drink, laugh, fight, drown. We could even cook in here, if possible,” she continues.
“I started with one donkey, and as the business flourished, I acquired three more over the years. I supply water to market people, households, and anyone who needs water. I get it for them,” she says, smiling. Mary sells a jerrican of River Kuja waters at Ksh10 (0.07 dollars) and her business has expanded to several homes and businesses across the centre
Each donkey carries four jerricans of water, totalling 80 litres, and Mary transports 320 litres per trip.
The ripple effects of River Kuja Water
Pamela Akinyi Mirima, a 37-year-old widow with four children, owns a small hotel in the area. She is also quite busy today as she prepares enough food to feed many guests during the market day. “Mary has been supplying me with water for 20 years, and she is like a mother to me,” says Pamela.
Pamela notes that the water can be used as is but acknowledges that it is not clean. She uses a water purifier, which she mentions the people of Wath Ong’er obtain at no cost from the local dispensary, Wath Ong’er Dispensary.
Mary Akinyi, is also aware that the waters of River Kuja are not clean to be used as is, she talks about not using as is in her home, because she knows it brings diseases, she also mentions even though the community is encouraged to buy filtered water from the Maji Safi Kiosk, or use a water purifier, she notes most people use the water as is and ignore the warnings.
“As a country that mines gold, we have so much mining residue washed into the river, and our people drink it unaware,” says Onyango. “It is important to mention that we have zero clean water. Our people are dying like flies. A disease may not show itself on day one, but it grows and festers with time,” he confesses.
According to a research conducted on the Impact of gold mining on the Environment and human health: A case study on the Migori Gold Belt Kenya, gold mining in Migori district is transitory. Mining involves both open-cut and underground operations. The ore is then crushed and panned. Waste rock is dumped into heaps as tailings. Mining in the area has left behind dredged-out and contaminated streams, disturbed vegetation and littered landscapes, open trenches and gaping pits filled with water.
For example, at Macalder mine, one can easily identify the scars remaining from the 1930s to 1960s large-scale mining. The mine 146 J.S. Ogola et al., the site is heaped with featureless flat tailings, which are partly washed onto adjacent land, pulled down buildings and machinery and debris of scrap metal. Artisan miners who have been trying to rework the tailings within the mine dump and old processing plants have worsened land degradation.
Wath Ong’er dispensary affirms Joseph’s sentiments but shares a positive note. Faith Otieno, a 40-year-old who has worked at the dispensary for three years, says that in the past, there were frequent deaths associated with waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio.
But Otieno notes that cases associated with waterborne diseases have reduced from 10 per week to around three after the water purifier and the clean water kiosk was brought to the centre.
This improvement has been attributed to the free water purifiers supplied by CARE Kenya. One sachet purifies 10 litres (2.5 gallons) of water. Each household receives 12 sachets per week.
For several years, CARE’s CSDWP (Children’s Safe Drinking Water Project) has partnered with Procter & Gamble (P&G) to promote safe water and hygiene, mainly targeting vulnerable populations, including children, in Kenya.
The project employs a point-of-use approach to enhance drinking water quality in community and emergency settings. This method empowers households to treat their drinking water at home, eliminating disease-causing agents and preventing contamination.
The Kenyan National Government Constituencies Development Fund also dug three boreholes within Wath Ong’er, but no one uses them. The water is highly salty, unsuitable for domestic purposes, and not drinkable.
The Maji Safi water kiosk
Otieno also attributes the decline in diseases and deaths to the Maji Safi (Clean Water) Initiative, which has significantly improved the community by naturally using a sky hydrant(membrane) machine purifying water and selling it at a meagre cost since 2019.
Joyce Onyach, 53, championed this clean water initiative for her community. Partnering with Siemens Foundation, Joyce Onyach established a registered water service under the Lower Nyatike Maji Safi Water Users Association.
“In 2017, I was part of a World Water Day exhibition organised by the Siemens Foundation, where they had a similar water kiosk that purified water in Kangemi, Nairobi. I asked myself, ‘Can I get a similar project for my community back in Wath Ong’er?’” Onyach says, who now serves as treasurer of the association.
Onyach recalls her frustrations with the perennial cases of cholera that plagued her community and the deaths due to water-related issues. “Wath Ong’er is a marketplace, and people flock here from different counties in Kenya, as well as from Tanzania and Uganda. This is the water people use,” she explains.
Her concern extended beyond her community; she worried about spreading diseases to other places through the traders that travel to the market weekly from other parts of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Onyach also expresses her concerns about deaths caused by crocodile attacks at the banks of River Kuja.
In the past, Onyach describes how women and children were frequently raped and murdered while fetching water from the river, leading to a rise in gender-based violence. Due to these dangers, many women were afraid to fetch water, and Onyach feared for her community.
Establishing the Maji Safi Kiosk has helped to reduce these risks, she says.
“The accessibility of this water has saved my community. It is safe and clean; no one has to worry about being violated while fetching it. This has been life-saving, and I am happier,” affirms Onyach.
“In a day, we purify an average of 13,000 cubic metres of water, with an overnight treatment of 15,000 cubic metres daily. However, this depends on the turbidity of the water; higher turbidity slows down the purification,” says Hezron Opiyo, a 42-year-old kiosk operator. “We do not use any chemicals to purify the water; we use filtration methods to remove impurities and conduct water tests regularly to ensure it is safe for drinking.”
Opiyo confirms they do not charge the community for fetching clean, safe drinking water. However, a cost of Ksh. 5 (0.04 USD) for a 21.5-liter jerrican is a token to help maintain the machinery used for purification.
Mighty River Kuja: A gateway to disaster
In 1997, Kenya experienced a significant flood from the naturally occurring climate pattern “El Niño,” which caused widespread destruction to property and lives. Ong’er was hit particularly hard, suffering devastating impacts. Due to the high volumes of water, River Kuja changed its course, forging a new path into Lake Victoria and leaving hundreds of lives lost along with their homes. This is the current course the river continues to follow.
Climate change is again increasing the risk of flooding. In April 2024, Kenya experienced flooding in various parts of the country. Heavy rainfall affected 38 out of Kenya’s 47 counties, including Migori County causing floods, triggering landslides, and increasing casualties and damage. ReliefWeb reported at least 210 deaths, 164 injuries, and 72 people missing.
With so much water flowing into Lake Victoria during the floods, there have been instances of backflow. This backflow disrupts livelihoods through displacing people and interferes with sanitation and biodiversity.
Awidhi notes that they have reported gold leaching—a process where gold is extracted using powerful chemicals, which then runoff into the river. This pollution impacts the water used for domestic purposes and affects the animals and plants that depend on it for survival. Despite these reports, no action has been taken.
Additionally, in his work with the Red Cross, Awidhi has been assisting households affected by the Lake Victoria backflow, helping to relocate people to higher ground and ensuring that the displaced have a place to stay.
“We have no fish or proper fish to sustain our livelihood. When Lake Victoria is like this, we do not get fish. We need dikes to be built higher and in different areas to control the waters. Our children cannot even go to school; water is everywhere, and it keeps rising daily. Some of us cannot even access our homes,” says an angered fisherman who chose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.
Dr. Jane Macharia, a research scientist at the National Museums of Kenya’s Centre for Biodiversity, explains that backflow can disrupt fish breeding and nursery grounds, leading to a decline in fish populations. High flooding causes increased sedimentation, reducing the ability for light to penetrate through the water, which affects food availability. Additionally, oxygen levels can drop due to the decomposition of vegetation in the water.
Benta Anyango, a 54-year-old mother of five, can no longer access her home normally. Different relatives host her children, and her house is filled with the waters of Lake Victoria, mixed with faeces from blown-out toilets and livestock excretions.
“We have not been given any solution; we are told this is all-natural. My husband and I have raised our beds to sleep at night. We have nowhere else to go; this is our home,” says a frustrated Anyango, throwing her hands in the air.
A Maji Safi Initiative Project to support reforestation in the community by providing climate-resilient tree seedlings.
Dr. Macharia adds that dykes can help, but reforestation and increased vegetation cover are crucial. Protecting wetlands, which act as natural flood water storage, is essential. Backflow not only damages riparian land, affecting feeding and nesting grounds for species like hippos and birds, but it also disrupts sanitation infrastructure, leading to the contamination of clean water with sewage. This raises the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
All is not lost, a glimpse of hope
The community is advocating for more water kiosks in different regions of Nyatike Sub-county to serve them better and efficiently. They ask the government to come up with a solution to the backflow and constant flooding around Lake Victoria Riparian lands once and for all, so they can claim back their livelihood, their children can access schools and they can go about their lives without recurring displacements and loss of property.
Despite the community’s difficulties, River Kuja and other rivers continue to flow steadily into Lake Victoria. Nature takes its course, whether it brings blessings or curses.
Along with its dangers, River Kuja is one of many waterways that sustain communities. Today, Mary Akinyi and her son came home happy, with a large profit from their many water clients. Like other Tuesdays, market days bring increased business, more money, and a higher water demand.
Source: This EverydayNile story was supported by InfoNile, MICT and FOTEA with funding from the IHE-Delft Water and Development Partnership Programme, JRS Biodiversity Foundation and GIZ, on behalf of the German Federal Government. This story is among 10 articles, written by 10 photojournalists from 10 countries who participated in EVERYDAY NILE project 2024.
